Social Media Marketing: Instagram & Pinterest

2. INSTAGRAM Photos and hashtags - no links. (Links can be placed in your bio only.) Your profile should contain the information on how to reach you, such as a URL. Use 1-5 hashtags in post, then later you can comment on your own post with more hashtags. Commenting and liking the posts of others can help grow your follower count. Tag fans or friends in pictures or comments to generate more exposure. Instagram is less professional, more social. Posting photos like pets, funny photos, etc. can drive more engagement.

3. PINTEREST No longer just for recipes and DIYers, Pinterest has opened up their site for business-specific accounts. Tell your story. Engage people. Be relatable, and answer the question, "so what?" Build collaboration with your customers by getting them involved they can pin your products to their boards. Make your products and services discoverable by using descriptions and tags. People can set up as a business, or convert personal accounts into business accounts. There are pros and cons to both, so weigh your options.

4. PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS You can link your account to your website. (free SEO backlink) Business can group photos into "boards". Create boards on your Pinterest account that relate to keywords for which you would like to rank. Posts can have links to places like Ebay or store links and product pins can have prices. (add price with $ in description) You can drive traffic to your site with a Pin It button, and create followers with a Follow button. You can also share your pins (like tweets) on your website. Track who is pinning your content, and interact with them and other followers. Engage your audience! Keep your personal stuff on your personal page.

5. WHAT CAN I DO NOW? 1. Create Original Content. 2. Completely fill out all profile information for all platforms. 3. Start Engaging Your Customers. 4. Cross Promote In Real Life and Online